M&S stores across Cambridge have been raising funds for NHS Charities Together over the last few months and customers have raised a total of £25,644.
All money raised for NHS Charities Together goes towards helping local communities, and Cambridge-based NHS charity, Royal Papworth Charity, is one of a number of recipients of a recent donation. The vital funds from NHS Charities Together supported the purchase of relaxation and break stations for staff working at Royal Papworth Hospital, enabling them to take short breaks during their busy shifts. Donations have also supported the purchase of a testing pod, an indoor facility for staff to use in-between Covid-19 testing outside, as well as a continued supply of food and drink, and fleeces to help keep them energised and warm during their shifts.
Recognising the amount of pressure staff were put under during the height of the pandemic and how the situation required a united effort across all departments of the hospital, the Charity has also delivered personalised and heart-felt messages from the hospital’s Chief Executive, Stephen Posey, to all staff members recognising their hard work – whether on the frontline or shielding at home alone, away from their families. As well as these messages of solidarity, the Charity has also used NHS Charities Together funds to provide essential care packs to staff, which included items such as hand cream and face masks.
To help provide continued support for staff who have been impacted by the difficult experiences they’ve faced throughout the pandemic, the hospital has expanded its psychological services to encourage colleagues to talk openly about any issues they are experiencing as a result of Covid-19.
M&S’s partnership with NHS Charities Together, has raised over £8.3m* across the UK for NHS good causes.
Donations from M&S have been raised through a number of initiatives, including the retailer’s Rainbow Sale (which saw 10% of each purchase, excluding VAT, donated to NHS Charities Together), limited edition NHS Charities Together Bags for Life, M&S’s All in This Together T-shirts and through one-off donations at the till points.
Lee Boon, M&S Head of Region for East Anglia said: “Royal Papworth Hospital plays an essential role supporting the Cambridge community and we can’t thank them enough for their incredible efforts over the past few months. We’re thrilled to share the donations raised at our stores across Cambridge.”
Stephen Posey, Chief Executive at Royal Papworth Hospital, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has made the work of Royal Papworth Hospital Charity more important than ever. Our charity has provided vital support to our staff and patients during a very challenging time, as well as funding research to help develop our understanding of this new disease. Our charity is reliant on public donations and we have been overwhelmed by the support of the public and business community throughout the pandemic. We would like to thank M&S customers and colleagues across Cambridge for their generous donations, which have gone towards a variety of physical and mental wellbeing initiatives to support our hardworking staff.”
Royal Papworth Charity supports the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital, which continues to provide the highest standards of care, whilst also driving forward new ways of treating heart and lung disease, which remain two of the biggest killers in the UK.
Customers can continue to get involved in lots of ways including selecting NHS Charities Together as their Sparks charity (M&S’s loyalty scheme) meaning M&S donates** on their behalf every time they shop in any store or online.
